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Jennifer Justus

The Tennessean

Roderick Bailey of The Silly Goose / John Partipilo / The Tennessean

Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon is one of the producers of Music City Eats. / Gian Ehrenzeller / Keystone / AP

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The new Music City Eats: Nashville Food, Wine & Spirits Festival, slated for Sept. 21-22, announced details today on cooking demonstrations and panel discussions, as well as additional chefs, including James Beard Award winner John Currence of Oxford, Miss., and City Grocery Restaurant Group.

“Nashville has had this real subtle coolness to it ... it seems like this flower that’s finally blossomed,” Currence said. “I like any excuse to go to Nashville.”

“A lot of my buddies and independents were getting involved to bring a festival like this to Nashville,” Holden-Bache said.

“The timing is also neat, because it’s in the afternoon. The (local) chefs can participate in the event and get back to their kitchens for service, which is helpful to someone like me with a small staff.”

The festival is produced by Caleb and Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon, world-renowned chef Jonathan Waxman, Vector Management’s Ken Levitan and Andy Mendelsohn, and C3 Presents (whose festival production credentials include the Austin City Limits Music Festival and Lollapalooza).

Cooking demonstrations, panel discussions and the Flavors of Nashville portion of the event will take place at Public Square Park downtown from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 21 and 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 22.

Waxman will share recipes for his acclaimed roasted chicken and potato pairings in “Birds of a Feather,” and “Everyday Italian” host Giada De Laurentiis will offer tips in “You Had Me at Lobster.” Other discussions will include “What Music City Eats” and “What Goes Around Comes Around,” a look at the revival of past food trends. Food & Wine editor-in-chief Dana Cowin and other panelists also will explore “Food Fables of the Old South” and the lessons they aim to teach.

“It wasn’t just about bringing chefs to Nashville; I also wanted to bring them to Nashville to see how great the food is,” Caleb Followill said when the festival was announced. “I think it’s going to be a celebration of Nashville.”

Kings of Leon also will be on hand for Petty Fest, the musical component of the festival, on Sept. 21 at War Memorial Auditorium. They’ll host a tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with the Cabin Down Below band and special guests to be announced.